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Originally posted by Sparkie Speaking of SquareSoft, anyone care to enlighten me on why they constantly change the FF storyline and characters? Seems to me that they're never happy enough with the current setup, so they wipe the slate clean and start again!

In the Final Fantasy Series, each story takes place approximately 500 years after the one before it. It is supposed the represent the cyclical power of ultimate evil. It would be hard to rationalize human characters living that long. This is a recurring theme in most of Square's games and is the main focus of Xenogears which also deals with reincarnation and destiny. Other games like Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve II have recurring characters, they just don't fit into the Final Fantasy Sagas.

Even so they are constantly trying to update their games if something is changed for the better in one game, it will make it into other games. The Materia system of Final Fantasy VIII was changed to match the system developed in Xenogears because it allowed better customization of characters. Parasite Eve has an advanced real-time combat system that is being incorporated into other games.

If you want to play a Square game (6 actually) with recurring characters. Pick up Saga Frontier. In it you play six different characters from start to finish. This means playing the game six different times. As you play you can see how each character has different struggles and interacts with the other characters provided. Be careful of how you play because it is very similar to the old Final Fantasy games in that you can get to the final showdown and not be powerful enough and not be able to leave that area. At least in the other games they release you can always leave and come back later when your more powerful.

All in all though each Square game helps build the one after it, from graphics work, rendering the 3DD characters, to integrating story lines. You can look at each game and see the new technical achievements it brings. Hopefully when the X-Box and GameCube come out Square will move to these platforms as well. Or Eidos, which releases Squares' PC ports, will port Square games to X-Box at least.

I read in an article (not on internet!) that small developers won't be able to develop games for the PSX II since it's a very complicated console. The GameCube, on the contrary, has been created to be as easy and simple as the N64.

The result of this will probably be that the GameCube will have lots of games and the PSX II only titles of the 'big companies'.

The X-Box is still in very early stages, so I don't expect that many games will be developed for it, not even after the release (IF it's being released, of course) since the PSX and GameCube will have the most developers behind them.

If you're asking yourself why, let me explain it to you:
Sony with the PSX, Sega with the DreamCast and Nintendo with the N64 and GameBoy are very populair and well known companies on the console-market, while MS is a newbie without any real experience or popularity.

Originally posted by Elledan I read in an article (not on internet!) that small developers won't be able to develop games for the PSX II since it's a very complicated console. The GameCube, on the contrary, has been created to be as easy and simple as the N64.

With the average development license per game in the Console industry standing at $1,000,000, I don't think the term small developer really applies to anyone in the business. If there are I would like to know because I only know of major companies and only major companies get shelf space in this tough market.

Also think of the fact that the PSX2 is backwards compatible so all those games already in production will still work on the new console. I can go into the local "Toys 'R' Us" and see about 20-50 Dreamcast games, maybe 100 Nintendo64 Titles and literally hundreds of Playstation titles for as low as $9.99. The only machine that comes close to the Playstation in number of titles is the Gameboy which has twice as many titles currently available than its big brother.

p.s. Did anyone else notice the that the Playstation is now called the "PSOne"? The case is smaller, being a little bigger than a CD walkman, and more stylish. Other than that it is the same machine. This tells me that it won't be going away anytime soon. I would expect a price drop on it closer to Xmas.

All I have to say is that no one knows how much the x-box will cost right now, because it isn't even that close to being launched yet. I highly doubt it if they are going to sell it for more the $400.

The "kiddie game" that someone mentioned in this thread for the N64 is no longer a viable name for the N64. Yeah there are a lot of titles that are made for the younger kids, but there are a lot of other games that have a "mature" rating.

I love Square and some of their games. But, I do like Rare a lot better, just because of their awsome first person shooters. I find a lot of the RPG games made for the PSX repititous.

How much is the PSX 2 going to cost? I know the GameCube is going to cost about $150-$200.

Did you guys know that Nintendo is planning on releasing another version of GameCube with DVD movie playback capabilities? I am not sure when this would be released but I do remember reading about it.

Also, just to let you guys know.....the next Metal Gear Solid is going to come out for the x-box and they currently have about 150 developers for it and a lot of them are big too.

I haven't made my decision about any of the consoles yet. I am going to wait before they launch before I decide if I am going to buy it or not.

Originally posted by wluke In the Final Fantasy Series, each story takes place approximately 500 years after the one before it. It is supposed the represent the cyclical power of ultimate evil.

Oh! I didnt even know that and I've been a FF fan since the very FIRST episode on the Nintendo!

The first Episode was Final Final 3 unless you smuggled in a Japanese version. Final Fantasy 3,4, and 6 were released on Nintendo. Final Fantasy 5 was also released but under a different name, I used to have the cartridge but someone "borrowed" it. I have never seen legal copies of 1 and 2 in the US.

Wluke: "$250.00 US at least through Christmas. Not a bad price really when you consider that a decent DVD player will cost you at least $150"

That isn't a bad price at all. I am starting to think about selling my $200 DVD player and just use that money for the purchase of a PSX 2. Man, you aren't just buying a game system with a PSX 2, you are buying a whole "entertainment" package.

By the way, does anyone know if the PSX 2 is going to have a lot more "first person shooter" games then the PSX did. I know one of the reasons why PSX didn't come out with very many of them was because the hardware couldn't handle it very well. I am hoping that since the PSX2 can probably handle those types of games a lot better, hopefully they will come out with more. I just want to know if anyone knows anything about that.

For a list of game slated for release on the PS2 check out IGN's Release Schedule. There are well over 100 games on the list with at least 60 before the new year. That includes 26 games at launch date.

They have reviews on a lot of these games and other PSX2 news at their PSX2 gaming site.

Then I looked at the game list, which seems smaller thah what I have seen, and didn't see any shooting games.

Nice looking gun, too bad my children will never see it. I don't allow gun toys in my home. I was raised that guns had one purpose and one purpose only, and the best way to achieve that purpose was through a single shot. Yes, my father is a Former U.S. Marine Sniper and a current Law Enforcement officer. I teach my kids the same thing and even my 4 year old knows that Grandpa's guns or things looking like a gun are not things to touch or play with. Both kids have seen first hand the destruction a single bullet can have. It is amazing how similar a 9 millimeter bullet entering a watermelon at close range is to a 9 millimeter bullet entering a human head at close range.

The first Episode was Final Final 3 unless you smuggled in a Japanese version. Final Fantasy 3,4, and 6 were released on Nintendo. Final Fantasy 5 was also released but under a different name, I used to have the cartridge but someone "borrowed" it. I have never seen legal copies of 1 and 2 in the US.

Err. Ok, then help me out here

The "first" version I have is on the 8 bit nintendo, the main fighter is red (red hair, red armor..), and there is also the choice of being a thief, karate guy, and black, white or red mages. You can travel by ship, canoe and airship. This isn't the first FF?

I played the second one through an emulator just to see what it was like. Really nice graphics..should've been released here.

Originally posted by wluke
Nice looking gun, too bad my children will never see it. I don't allow gun toys in my home. I was raised that guns had one purpose and one purpose only, and the best way to achieve that purpose was through a single shot. Yes, my father is a Former U.S. Marine Sniper and a current Law Enforcement officer. I teach my kids the same thing and even my 4 year old knows that Grandpa's guns or things looking like a gun are not things to touch or play with. Both kids have seen first hand the destruction a single bullet can have. It is amazing how similar a 9 millimeter bullet entering a watermelon at close range is to a 9 millimeter bullet entering a human head at close range. [/B]

The "first" version I have is on the 8 bit nintendo, the main fighter is red (red hair, red armor..), and there is also the choice of being a thief, karate guy, and black, white or red mages. You can travel by ship, canoe and airship. This isn't the first FF?

I played the second one through an emulator just to see what it was like. Really nice graphics..should've been released here.

If it is in English and says Final Fantasy I on it, then it is really Final Fantasy III. As for the actual characters, I'll have to get with a friend who is a Final Fantasy historian and let you know. He has all the games still.